Folding device



Nov. 28, 1933. H HOWE 1,937,386

FOLDING DEVICE Filed July 17. 1931 INVENTOR. f/lfiaz. D Han/5.

Patented Nov. 28, 1933 I I I UNITED sTArss riAr'ssr c er cs FOLDING DEVICE Harold Howe. New York, N. Y, assignor to Howe Folding Furniture, Inc.. New York, N. Y;

Application July 17,1931. 'Serial'No. 551,408 I t reams. (o1. 211 93);

My. invention relates to a folding device parsurface such as a wall, secured to which arethe j ticularly adaptable forshelves, tables,- and the horizontal and vertical supporting members 2 like and the principal object of which is to proand 3 re p tivelr ui b y i y mounted n vide means for folding a pair of surface sections the wall. 5 v

5 with extreme compactness and in a manner to Suitably rigidlysecured to thehorizontal supj 60 require a minimum amount of space for the foldporting member 2 is a spacingmember 4 to the ing operation and for the storage of the sections owe o t e ge f W hinged a at 3 8 when folded, section 6 ofthe shelf whereby said section may Onejmportant, bject of my invention i to pivot or hinge downwardly to'a position substanprovide a, folding means for a, pair of sections tially parallel with the Wall as shown clearlyin 65 which permits folding the same downwardly Figure 2. Secured to'eaoh side edge of the section] within a space substantially the length of the 6 adjacent the outer end thereof are metal bracksections. This affords a very convenient shelf etS 7 Wh are p v t as t 3 s mila brackets device particularly when a shelf is desired on a 9 secured to theside edges'of the outer section Wall surface at apoint where folding space either 10 of the shelf adjacent the rear end thereof '70 up or down with respect to the shelf is at a prewhereby said section 10 is pivoted to the section mium or extremely t 1 6 ma manner-to fold upwardly with respect A further object of m'yinventicn lies in the here a indicated l y in dotted in s inprovision of a foldable article such as a shelf Figure l d in f l lines n F ur The metal which when unfolded provides a, very rigid and brackets/land 9* are PlOViClEd cooperating 75 substantial support of double section size and s l1 thleugh Which the PiVOt p 8 dwhich when folded occupies a space of subst'an- The elfrangemenlg Ofllhis vliiVOli ct n 106-; tially thesame length as only one of said secwe s i ns 6 and 10 issuc ha When t e ti sections are unfolded to the position shown at Still another object of myinvention lies in ur s 3, a d t pp surfaces of the 80 the provisionrof avnovel folding linkand' sup-- sections-willbe flush with each other and'th'e porting means for the sections when in unfolded adjoining ends abuttingythus p ov d 'a mooth" or coplanar positi0n double section shelf surface. r

My invenion is particularly adaptable for use Mounted upon the Vertical Supporting e ber o s a h as may b r vid d n all in 3 is a bracket 12 provided with an angular ex- 85' kitchens and elsewhere where space saving is tending a 13 Which s p vo d as at 14 one important and I have illustrated and will deend of a link 15 bent Slightly p y a at 6 scribe my invention in detail as applied to the a jace t its Outer end. The outer end of this shelf. It should be clearly understood that the link 15 is pivoted as at 17 to one end of a locking same folding means is adaptable for other artind Supp t p 18 Su ab y r id y secured 90* cles and uses as well, such as built shelves, tables, at its opp end to u derside of the sect tion 10 as at 19. The end of the strip 18 to which Other objects and advantages of my invention the link 15 is p v t d eXtendS bey nd the end of will be apparent as the description now proceeds, the section 10 to substantially underlie the adja- 7 p 40 reference being had to the figures of the accomcent end of the section 6 as shown clearly, in 95 panying drawing forming a part of this applica- Figure'3.

tion and wherein like reference numerals indi- Secured as by screws 20 tothe underside of the oate like parts. section 6 are brace strips 21, the outer ends of In the drawing: which project beyond the end of the section 6 to Figure 1 is a side view of a shelf embodying underlie the adjacentend of'the section 10 when 100' my invention in unfolded or operative position, the sections are in unfolded position. the dotted lines showing the manner of folding There is thus provided a very rigid brace for the shelf. V the shelf sections when in unfolded position, ca-, Figure 2 is a side View of the shelf in completely pable of supporting a very considerable weight folded position. on either or both of the sections 6 and 10 without 105 Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the unfolded danger of disturbing the shelf. I shelf shown in Figure 1. When it is desired to fold the shelf back out of Figure 4 is a perspective view of the shelf the way it is merely necessary to lift up on the in unfolded position. outer end of the outer section 10 whereupon the i The reference number 1 indicates a supporting sections hinge at the points 8 and inward presno t sure towards the wall 1 on the section 10 causes the sections to fold downwardly together as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

I have thus provided a very effective shelf occupying but very small space and requiring little space for folding and unfolding and which is of very few parts and easily operated.

Of course, changes may be made in detailsof construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my inven tion. I do not limit myself, therefore, to the exact form herein shown and described other than by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A folding device comprising in combination a pair of sections pivoted together and foldable to and from co-planar relation, members on each of said sections having portions overlapping the other section when in co-planar relation, said members being disposed substantially centrally of the width of. said sections, a support for said sections, and a single link pivoted to said support and to one of said members.

2. A folding device comprising in combination a pair of sections pivoted together and foldable to and from co-planar relation, a supporting member rigid with the underside of one of said sections and overlapping the other section when in co-planar relation, said members being disposed substantially centrally of the width of said sections, a support for said sections, and a single link pivoted to said support and to said member.

3. A folding devicecomprising in combination a pair of sections pivoted together and foldable downwardly fromco-planar relation, a support to which one of said sections is pivoted and means for supporting saidsections in unfolded position comprising a single link pivoted to said support at one end and to an overlapping membercarried by one of said sections at its opposite end and substantially centrally thereof.

4. A folding device comprising combination a support, a surface section hinged thereto, a second surface section pivoted to said first section for folding downwardly therewithto a position substantially parallel withsaid support, a member secured to one of said sections and overlapping the other, said member being disposed substantially centrally of the width of .said sections, and a single link pivoted to said support and to said member whereby to support said sections in unfolded co-planar position.

5. A folding device comprising in combination a support, a surface section hinged thereto, a second surface section pivoted to said first section for folding downwardly therewith to a position substantially parallel with said support, a member secured to one of said sections and overlapping the other, a single link pivoted to said support and to said member whereby to support said sections in unfolded co-planar position, and additional supporting members secured to one of said sections and underlying the other section when in co-planar relation, said members being disposed substantially centrally of the width of said sections.

6. A folding device comprising in combination a support, a surface section hinged thereto, a second surface section pivoted to said first section for folding downwardly therewith to a position substantially parallel with said first section and said support, a bracing member secured to the underside of said second section and substantially centrally thereof and having a portion underlying said first section when said sections are unfolded to c0planar relation, and a single link pivoted to said support and to the underlying portion of said bracing member.

'7. A folding device comprising in combination a support, a surface section hinged thereto, a second surface section pivoted to said first section for folding downwardly therewith to a posi--- tion substantially parallel with said first section and said support, a bracing member secured to the underside of said second section and having a portion underlying said first section when said sections are unfolded to co-planar relation, 2.

single link pivoted to said support and to the underlying portion of said bracing member, and additional bracing members secured to said first section and having portions underlying said second section when in co-planar relation, said members being disposed substantially centrally of said sections.

HAROLD HOWE. 

